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Weight Maintenance

Most people can lose weight. Maintaining it is the hard part. So how do we do it?

The National Weight Control Registry (http://www.nwcr.ws/ ) was created to uncover the characteristics of those who maintain long term weight loss. All members have lost at least 30 lbs and kept it off for at least a year, but the average member lost 66 lbs and kept it off for 5.5 years. Many used to be weight cyclers (losing and regaining several times), but they showed us that even if you have been unsuccessful in weight loss before, there is still hope.

What made them more successful this time? It was a greater level of commitment. Many people said a medical trigger (like diabetes or high cholesterol) gave them that increased commitment to stick with a stricter diet and have a greater reliance on exercise.

Don’t stop doing the things that helped you get the weight off in the first place. That means you have to lose weight with a sustainable plan. Diets that fail are ones we can’t continue for long-term.

Things we can learn from the NWCR:

Still watch calories: Women consumed an average of 1306 calories/day and men consumed and average of 1685 calories per day. Most followed a low fat diet plan.

Continue a food diary: Some professionals recommend keeping a food diary for a full year into your maintenance program- knowing you can manage a full year of holidays, birthdays, vacations and whatever else may pop up.

Eat Regularly: NWCR participants reported eating an average of 5 times per day. Most consumed breakfast on a daily basis. Divide your calorie allotment throughout the day to provide your body the fuel it needs.

Follow a structured diet: Those who followed a structured diet were not only able to lose more weight, but they kept the weight off better than those who didn’t. Make yourself a structured meal plan and grocery list.

Follow a consistent diet: Those who followed a consistent diet were less likely to regain weight. Pick a few breakfasts, lunches and dinners that you rotate through.

Include dietary novelty: Even though structure and consistency is important, so are changes every once in awhile. We all would get bored with boneless skinless chicken breast, brown rice and steamed broccoli. Add something new into the rotation every other week.

Control emotional eating: People who are more likely to eat in response to feeling and thoughts were more likely to experience weight regain. If you are an emotional eater, identify what your emotional triggers are and develop a plan to handle those situations without using food.

Monitor weight- The less frequently people weighed themselves, the more likely weight regain happened. Weighing yourself on a daily or weekly basis can provide an early warning system so you can take action when the weight starts to creep up. Set a weight range and don’t let yourself go above it.

Continue exercise- Exercise is the #1 most successful weight maintenance strategy. It didn’t seem to matter what people did as long as they exercised. Most NWCR participants exercised 1 hour per day, usually in the form of walking. Exercising at home appeared to help people to continue exercising. So invest in a home gym, exercise videos, or walk around your neighborhood.